justme

Hey, wow, in the "end" I agree with Nadya, though I did find some of the things she said early on to be offensive. It DOES all boil down to common sense and the lack of it shown by so many people in society today. I would just like to say that just because someone rides a Segway doesn't mean they don't have common sense -- I am sure there are inconsiderate Segway riders out there -- have you observed traffic lately? I think 50% or more of drivers fall into the inconsiderate class these days. Heck, even pedestrians are inconsiderate with eachother ... have you walked in the rain lately? This has truly been a fascinating thread and I am glad I was able to participate--thank you Rock! Take-away hopefully for all--just because something is new or different doesn't automatically make it a threat, or bad, or stupid. And just because its not for you doesn't mean its not for plenty of other people. Live and let live everyone -- so long as no one is spitting on you, enjoy the rain.

First of all, there is no global rule that says people cannot bring their bikes into a restaurant and park'em just anywhere. I tihnk that is up to the restaurant. Granted I haven't seen that in this country (I was in several establishments in the Netherlands that allowed people to bring in their bikes). Same would go for a Segway, there are plenty of establishments that allow and even welcome Segways in in Washington, DC. As far as "exercising your rights under the ADA," the ADA requires "that places of public accommodation may not insist on proof of State certification" that is to say, if I am disabled, I do not have to proove to you that I am disabled in order to receive accommodations I am requesting for my disability. (Parking spaces do not fall into this same classification for the reasons I mentioned previously--you are tagging the VEHICLE devoid of the disabled individual.)

Granted. The difference here is the tag is placed on the car and can be done so without "tagging" the individual as somehow different. A good friend of mine drives a mini, he is handicapped, when he parks he places his placard on the rearview mirror and leaves the car. HE is not labelled with a sticker. When you are on a mobility scooter, you do not have a big blue sticker on you, nor when you are in a wheelchair. You (the board that is) are saying that because a Segway is not "obviously" a handcapped device then the person should have to wear a sign at all times proclaiming their disability!! There is a difference here. I firmly agree that if a person is disabled and using their Segway for mobility and are told by an establishment that they cannot bring the unit in, that THEN the individual should inform of their need for the device.

Wow, what a thread...I have been fascinated to read the way some people's minds work. I have so much to say but so little time at the moment. I did want to address this one comment, however. Why would we insist that a handicapped person, who is using a Segway so they can stand and have their dignity, have to hang some big blue placard on themselves declaring to the world that they are handicapped? What a horrible suggestion. I am gay, I better hang a big pink triangle on myself so that everyone knows...oh wait, that was tried once before in history, wasn't it? Seriously, folks, people who use Segways to get around are just using one more emerging technology to make their lives a little easier. They're not all suddenly going to get fat because of it, they're not all "entitled" bacuse of it, and they're not all suddenly rude because of it. They've just made a choice that you haven't made yet, and potentially never will, and that's just fine. If a Segway rider wants to ask permission to store his or her device inside when patronizing an establishment, I see nothing wrong with that, and if an establishment wants to say "sorry we don't have room, or can't, or just don't want to," that is fine too. If that's the case, then the patron can inform of a need to have it with them, and the matter becomes different. Well, that's all for now. just me